Follow-up mechanism



Feb. 14, 1950 R, B, MALLEY .2,497,617

FOLLOW-UP MECHANISM Filed March 18, 1946 I IN1/wrox RAYMOND B. MALLEY ATTORNE Y Patented Feb. 14, 195o FOLLOW-UP MECHANISM Raymondv B. Malley, Studio City, Calif., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application March 18, 1946, Serial No. 655,303

5 Claims. (Cl. 'I4-479) This invention relates to mechanical movements of the type in which movement of either of two driving members moves a driven member.

Such mechanisms are useful for many purposes, including the actuation of a control in one direction a predetermined distance to produce a predetermined movement of a controlled member, and the subsequent actuation of the control the same distance in the opposite direction in re sponse to completion of the predetermined movement of the controlled member.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanical movement of the type referred to which `is simple and inexpensive to build, has relativelyI little lost motion, and can be made in compact form while at the same time being capable of transmitting substantial torque.

Conventional mechanisms of the general type referred to employ gear trains of the planetary or differential type, which are relatively expensive if made to close tolerances, and have excessive lost motion if not made to close tolerances.

The present invention eliminates gears. and their defects by employing a peculiar arrangement of eccentrics coupled to a cross-head, the

particular construction and advantages of which will appear from the following detailed description with reference to the drawing,"in which: l

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a mechanism in accordance with the invention employed for controlling a valve in a hydraulic system for actuating a flap on an airplane;

Fig, 2 is a cross section through the mechanism constituting the invention, the section being taken in the plane H-II of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken in the plane III-III of Fig. 2.

Referring toFig. l, there is sh'own schematically a ilap I I) actuated by a hydraulic Jack II which is controned by a valve l2. The valve lzA is jointly controlled by a control handle I 3 and by the flap I0. Thus the handle I3 is linked by a belt I 4 to a pulley I5 on the valve I2, and the4 flap I0 is linked by a belt I6 to a pulley I'I on the valve I2. Valve I2 may be of the four-way type supplied with pressure fluid through a line I8 and having a return line I9 through which fluid may be exhausted. The valve is also connected by lines 20 and 2I `respectively, to opposite ends of the hydraulic jack II. It may be assumed that the valve I2 is of a well known type which: in a neutral position closes the lines 20 and 2|; -when moved in one direction from neutral position connects the pressure line I8 to the line 20 and the return line i9 to the line 2 I; and when moved in the other direction from the neutral position connects the pressure line I8 to the line 2| and connects the jack line 20 to the return line I9.

The present invention comprises a mechanism I which couples the two pulleys I5 and I'I to the control shaft of the valve I2 in such a way that movement of either of the pulleys I5 or II in either direction moves the shaft of the valve I2 in the same direction. If it be assumed that the handle I3 is moved forward (to the left), the

belt I4 is shifted in the direction indicated by the arrow, which rotates the pulley I5 counter-clockwise. Through the mechanism of the present invention, the pulley I5 in turn rotates the shaft of the control valve I2 counter-clockwise. Let it further be assumed that this admits pressure fluid from the pressure line I8 to the jack line 2| and connects the jack line 20 to the return line I9. This moves the piston of the jack in such direction as to rock the flap i0 clockwise, and the movement of the iiap is transmitted through the belt I6 to the pulley il, causing it to rock clockwise. The movement of the pulley II in clockwise direction moves the shaft of the valve I2 in the same direction, or back toward neutral position, and when the nap I0 has moved into a predetermined position corresponding to the distance through which the control handle I3 was moved, the movement of the pulley I1 in clockwise direction will have fully compensated for the previous movement in clockwise direction of the pulley I5, thereby restoring .the valve I2 back to neutral position, to hold the flap I0 in the position into which it h-as been actuated. When- I ever the handle I3 is moved, the valve I2 is opened to apply pressure fluid to one end or the other of the jack II to move the flap I0 in the desired direction, and when the flap has moved into the corresponding position, the movement of the pulleyIl will have restored the valve I2 neutral position.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the pulleys I5 and I'I both have central journals 25 and 26 rotatably tted on a hub 21, which hub is provided with a splined opening 28 for xation to the shaft of the valve or other device to be actuated thereby. The splined shaft 28 may be counter-bored at one end and threaded as indicated at 29, but the particular manner of connecton of the hub 21 to the shaft to be controlled thereby does not constitute a part of the present invention.

`, Formed integrally with the hub 2'I is a thin flange 30 which, as shown to best advantage in Fig. 2, is provided with a radial slot 30|, which contains a cross-head member 3| dimensioned to slidably fit in the slot 30 I. This cross-head member 3| has a central circular aperture 3|| which is engaged by bosses 32| and 33| in a pair of link members 32 and 33 respectively. which are identical in shape but reversed in position. Thus the link member 32 has a circular opening 322 therein which is rotatably iltted on a large crank pin |52 which projects inwardly from the flange |I of the pulley I5. It will be observed that the boss 32| on the link member 32 projects away from the ilange I 5I of pulley |5 and approximately half way into the opening 3|I in the cross-head member 3|. The other link member 33 likewise has a circular opening 332 which is fitted on a large crank pin |12 projecting in-l wardly from the ange I1I of the pulley I1,\and the boss 33| on this link member 33 projects away from the` ilange I1| of pulley I1 fand approximately half way through the cross-head member 3|.

The pulleys `Iii and I1 may be vretained on the hub 21 by snap rings 35 and 36. The annular crack between the pulleys I5 and I1 may be closed by a felt ring 31 to exclude dust from the mechanism.

The mechanism disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3 operates as follows: Let it be assumed that as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the pulleys I5 and I1 are in a neutral position. .It will be observed that the crank pins |52-and |12, in the position shown in Fig. 2. are displaced substantially 180 apart. Furthermore, a line extending through the centers of the crank pins |52 and |12 is perpendicular to the slot 30| in the flange 30. Now assume that the pulley l5 is rotated counterclockwise. This carries the link member 32 in the same direction, tending to carry the crosshead member 3| with it. However, the crosshead member is limited in its motion by the fact that it is also pivotally connected to the link member 33, which, so long as the pulley I1 is stationary, can only rotate on its crank pin |12. Accordingly, the cross-head member 3| is moved in a circular path about the center of the crank pin |12. This carries the flange member 30 counter-clockwiseand at the same time moves the cross-head member 3| outwardly in the slot Now assume that the pulley I5 is-stopped and that the pulley I1 is rotated in the opposite direction (clockwise with reference to Fig. 2). This 4 served that since the distances fromthe centers of the crank pins |52 and |12 to the center of the cross-head member 3| are equal, the angle of intersection between the link means at the cross-head (the angle between two lines drawn from the centers of the crank pins |52 and |12,

" respectively. to the center of the cross-head 3|) carries the crank pin |12 in a clockwise`path,

which carries the link 33 with it. At this time. however, the cross-head member 3| is constrained by the link member 32 to move only in a circular path about the center of the crank pin |52. Hence the ilange 30 is carried clockwise, and the cross-head member 3| is moved outwardly in the slot 30|. g

If the pulley I5 is rotated clockwise, the crosshead member 3| is moved inwardly in the slot 30|, and the flange 30 is'moved clockwise. It follows also that if the pulley I1 is rotated counter-clockwise, the cross-head member 3| is moved inwardly in the .slot 30I,but the flange v3|) is rocked counter-clockwise.

It will be observed that the pulleys I5 and I1 constitute a pair of primary driving means movable in rotational paths, and that the link members 32 and 33 respectively constitute link means coupling the primary driving means to the crosshead member 3|, which constitutes a. secondary driving member for driving the flange 30, which constitutes a driven member. .It will also be obis always bi-sected by the path of movement of the cross-head 3| in the slot 30 which guides it.

Obviously the pulleys are capable of only limited movement in either direction, and the extent to Awhich movement of either pulley in one direction can be compensated for by movement of the other pulley inthe opposite direction is also\,limited. However, these limited movements of the parts areV of no importance in the operation of many devices such as valves, in which the maximum angular movement to be applied may be only a small .fraction of a revolution.

It is desirable to definitely limit the extent of movement of each of the pulleys I5 and I1 relative to the hub 21 and this can be readily accomplished by providing arcuate slots in the flange 30 which are engaged by bosses on the pulleys. These arcuate slots in the flange are shown at 303 and 304 in Figs. 2 and 3, and the location of the bosses on the end faces of .the

crank pins |52 and |12 which project into these slots are indicated by the dotted circles 305 and 306 in Fig. 2.

It will be readily apparent from the drawing and the foregoing description that the invention constitutes a very simple and compact mechanism for achieving the desired purpose, and it will be l. A mechanism of the type described com-- prising: a driven member adapted to be restricted to movement in a rst path; secondary driving means coupled to said driven member for movement with respect thereto only in a second path extending at an angle to said first path; a pair of independently movable primary driving members movable in third and fourth paths respectively; and link means independently linking each of said primary driving members to said secondary driving member, in which said second path bisects the angle of intersection of said link means at said secondary driving means.

2. A mechanism of the type described comprising: a rotatable driven member adapted to be supported for rotation; a secondary driving memtation coaxial with said driven member; and link means independently linkingeach primary driving member to said secondary driving means.

3. A mechanism of the type described vcomprising: a hub member; a pair of co-axial primary driving members rotatably mounted on said hub member; cross-head means and cross-head guide means coupling said cross-head means to said hub for radial movement with respect thereto, and rotary movement therewith; crank pin means on each of said driving members and separate REFEBENGES CITED )mk means linking euh of said @ank pm The following references are of record in the to said cross-head means. me of this, tent, l. l

4.11 mechanism as described in claim a in W v which saidcross-head means is disposed inter- 5 v UNITED STATES PATENTS mediate said rotary driving members and said Number Name Date mink pm and nk mean 5l- Psitined n 0p' 952,399 Winton et a1. Mar. 15, 1910 site Side-S of said, W meansa 1,541,052 Hunt June 9, 1925 5' A mechanism a5' ,d ,bed m claim 3. Y f 1,620,744 Tibbetts Mar, 15,1927

which each of said crans pin means comprises an 10/ 1,625,563 Payne Apr 19 1927 and each 0f link mem mpl'ises an' ec- Hofman et y-fm.' n.

mmm including id hub Within i periphery v9,077,150 Mcwmrter et a1. Apr. 1s. 1931 centric collar ntted units eccentric. j @smorfia 

